Electric-current generator.



1. M; WILSON.

ELECTRIC cummn GENERATOR.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV- H, 1912. 1,136,078, PatentedApr. 20, 1915.

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I 11.-M. WILSON. ELECTRIC CURRENT GENERATOR. APPLICATION'FILED' NOV. H.1912.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INYENTOR 8V X a Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

DIFE ACTING) T: Cells 70 &

I v IINVENTOR l' BY ORNEY JAMES in, WILson, or

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, 'as srenon T0 SPLITIJOB-F nLno'rm'cAn COMPANY/OFNEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT GENERATOR.

To all wizamit may concern Be it known that I, JAMEs M. \VILsoN, citizenof the United States, and a resident of' Newark, county of Essex, andState of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Electric-Current CIGHGI'ZUIOIS, of which the following'is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric-generators of thedirect current class, and has for its object, to provide an improvedform of direct current generator, adapted to be driven at variable ratesof speed, such as on automobiles, launches and other moving vehicles,and to control the supply of current to the working circuit, accordingto the requirements.

in electric generator used ona variable speed vehicle, must have itsworking circuit controlled, so that itwill close said working circuit ata substantially predetermined rate of speed of the vehicle and likewiseof the rotating: armature, and it should also have under self control,means to limit the energy in the working circuit to a safe predeterminedamount, when the vehicle to which it is attached and which furnishes themotive power, aiming at a high rate of speed. While, in the form of myinvention, shown in the drawings, permanent magnets are used,tlnso'are'not necessary, as the field flul may be obtained by theordinary electromagnetic means. a

My invention also comprises novel details of improvement andcombinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth, andthen pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a parthereof,

wherein,

Figure 1 a longitudinal view of the gencrator, with the outside coverremoved and a portion of the permanent magnets being cut away. Fig. 2 isan end view of Fig. l, slmwing the upper portion of the end plate brokenaway, and also a portion of the housing over the brush and commutator.Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a section to the right of .r A' of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a section to the left of A A, of Fig. 1.and Fig. 5 illustrates, diagrammatr call y the working circuit of theelectric genorator in combination with the two electromagnets, whichcontrol the said working circuit.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Application filed November 11, 1912. Serial No. 730,567. v

The similar numerals of reference indicate a corresponding parts in theseveral views.

The numeral 1 indicates a non-magnetic base to which are attached theend plates 3 and and on which are mounted the large pole pieces 2, andthe'smaller pole pieces 53 and These latter pole pieces, however, aremagnetically separated from the first two mentioned, as shown by thespace 54.

Numerals 5 indicate the brush holder caps. Connections arev made fromthese caps by the strips 8 to the line binding posts 9, which areproperly insulated from the end plate, on which they are mounted.Attached to pole pieces 53-and 55, are pole shoes 10, be tween which iscarried a yoke 6, the parts being held together by screws 12, or othersuitable means. Upon this yoke is mounted an electromagnetic coil 43,which is illustrated in Fi 5' as havim two windin s. 70

and 71. Mounted on the top of the pieces 10, are pole pieces 1% and 15.To the pole piece ll is secured a flexible member 21, carrying; keeper19 and also a second flexible member 18, at the end of which is mounteda contact, An adjustment is provided for this keeper by means of'anadjusting screw 23, having a lock member 99 to retain the same in properadjustment. The pole piece ll also carries an insulated member 20,beinginsulated from the pole tip 14: by the parts 2. L and 25, ried a contact28. Pole piece 15 :arries an insulated member 34, being insulated bymembers 35 and 36, on the end of which is a contact 83. This insulatedmember has also connected to it, a-tlexible member 37, which carries acontact 29. Under normal conditions, the contacts 28 and 29 are inengagement, and due to the resilience of member 21, keeper 19 is heldaway from the p ole tips 1-1 and 15, thereby keeping the contacts andseparated.

l\"lountcd on the larger pole pieces 2, are pole extensions 66 and 6.which carry windings it and 45, which act together, fornr ing anclectrormignet, keeper of which is represented by l (1. Tlns keeper 15supported from a support 51 by a resilient memberll,

which is-attachcd to the keeper by screws 4.8.

The keeper 46 is kept from actual contactwith the pole pieces 66 and 67by means of non-magnetic points GS and 69, so that it will never stickon belng operated. An ads justment is provided for this keeper by On theend of member 20 is carmeans of the screw 49, locked in position by thenut 64, both of which are carried on an arm .52, which is of itselffastened to support 51 by screws 62 and 63. Attached to the keeper 4G,is a resilient member, 78, forkedinto two members, 41 and 42; The

-fork'41 carries an insulated member 38,

which is insulated from the fork 41 by insulating pieces 39and 40. Thefork 42 is provided with a hole in the end, through which plays freely ashouldered stud 31, said stud being fastened to the keeper 19 by the nut30. In operation, when the electromagnetic windings 44 and 45 attractthe keeper 46, the fork 42 engages the shouldered head of screw 31,pulling it downward, thus holding the keeper 19, which has beenpreviously attracted to the poles 14 and 15. in its attracted position,and keeping the contacts 32 and 33 in engagement. Subsequently, onengagement of the fork 42 with the shouldered member 31, the fork 41engages the flexible member 37 on the insulated stud 40, and carries themember 37 downward, separating, the contacts 28 and While I have shownpermanent magnets 50 as an additional source of magnetic flux, I do notwish to be limited to this construction, as I may use an ordinaryelectro-magnot connected in shuntof the armature circuit to produce theflux through the pole pieces 2 in the same degree as produced by thepermanent magnets. A special feature of theconstruction of the largepole pieces 2 is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the extensions G6 and67 are bent away from the pern'ianent magnets on the lines 57 and 58,

instead of being in contact with the permanent magnets, as they would beif constructed to the same height as the pole pleces and 55, and asindicated along the dotted lines 76 and 7?. This construction forces themagnetic flux, due to the windings 44 and 45, to go down the poleextensions to such a point as will turn a portion of them through thearmature, when current through the working circuit sutficiently large,as indicated by the top arrows of Fig. 4. A portion of the flux, due tothese windings, will also travel around through the permanent magnets,or other field material. The armature is illustrated by numeral 60 and ithe windings contained inthe slots of the In Fig. 5, the working circuitis shown as being closed and 'can be traced as follows: From brush 72,through switch 74, battery B to ground G, thence through member 21attached to pole piece 14, member 18, contacts and 33, contact member34, windings 44'a-nd' 45, winding 71 on the yoke 6, back to brush 73, Anadditional working circuit is illustrated from one side of battery B,through switch 75' when closed, 75 through lamps L to the other side ofbattery, the battery and lamps, in this case, being in multiple in theworking circuit. A shunt circuit may be traced before the workingcircuit is closed at contacts 32 and 33, and before the contacts 28 and29 are opened, through the brush 72, through windings .70 on the yoke 6.From the insulated member. 20, contacts 28 and 29, flexible member 37,member 34, windings 44 and 45, winding 71 on yoke 6, back to brush 73,thus giving what is known as a..'long shunt connection. The windings 70and 71 on the yoke 6 produce magnetic fluxes through the armature 60 inthe same direction as produced by the perma-nent magnets, or theirequivalent, while the windings 44 and 45, acting together to form oneelectromagnet, produce a flux,-a portion of which is in opposition tothe above mentioned fluxes.

lVhile I have shown the series winding 7 1. on the yoke 6, I maydispense with this enti rely, by proportioning the finer winding to makeup for its removal. Vhen the winding 71 is not used, then the windings44 and 45 are adjusted to send suflicient flux in re verse directionthrough the armature as will compensate for the higher rotation of sameand the flux due to the permanent magnets or their equivalent.

When the generator is being operated at a low speed and the workingcircuit closed, the magnetic "flux generated by the coils 44 and 45 andwhich passes through the pole extensions 66 and 67, is relatively smalland most of it finds return path through the main portion of themagnetic material of the generator, since the reluctance there-throughis considerably less thanthrough the air gaps on both sides of thearmature and including the armature but when the current in the workingcircuit reaches a certain predetermined value, the magnetic fluxgenerated by the coils44 and 45 divides, a part following thepath aboveoutlined and a part passes through the armature as indicated-by theupper arrows on the armature of Fig. 4 and I claim that the constructionof the pole extensions 66 and 67, whereby I they are bent away from thepermanent magnets, as herein described, is an important feature of myinvention. 7

When the vehicle is started, to which my improved generator isconnected, the same begins to generate current through the Windand Asthe speed of the vehicle further, increases, the current from thearmature and in the working circuit would increase to an abnormal.degree and battery would be overcharged and the lamps burned out orother translating devices injured, if means w ere not provided to limitthe output of the generator. This I accomplish through the action of thewindings 4% and 4:3,which operate the keeper 46 at a. predeterminedspeed, the operation of which holds the keeper 19 in position, therebymaintaining contacts 32 and 33 in engagement and subsequently openingthe shunt circuit through the contacts 28 Enid 29. This at once reducesthe liuxihrough the iii-mature, due to winding and while the tendencyfor the increased current throughthe series winding 71, is to increasethe flux through the armaturc, it is counterbalanced by the seriesdifferential acting windings stat and 45, which drives a flux throughthe armature in opposition to the winding 71. These'windings are socorrelated us to balance each other and inconsequence a steady currentis main tuined in the workingcircuit, even though the speed of thevehicle be increased to an abnormal point. It is also seen that as thecurrent in the working circuit through windings T0 undTl increases, theflux througl'i the yoke 6 will increase but aportio'n of this increaseof flux is carried through the pole tip 15, keeper 19, pole tip 14: backto the yoke 6.' In other words, the -tendency is for the pole tips 14-and 15 and keeper 19 to shunt flux, created by windings 70 and 71, awayfrom the armature, thereby aiding in the general regulation of thegenerator,

hen the speed of the vehicle decreases to upredctermincd polnt,thewmdmgs 4A and 45 release the keepert6 and the fingers 41 and {i2 arereleased from engagement with 37 and 19 and the working circuit willremain open until. the speed increases to such a point as winding 7 0will again close contacts 32km d 33, through the attraction of keeper19.

While I have shown one particular form of my in rention, I do not Wishto be limited by the exact construction shown, as numerous changesmuy bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe claims,

Having thus described my inv'entiomwhat I claim, is:

1. In an electric generator the ccmimnu'ion of an armature, a source ofmagnetic flux,

pole pieces attached thereto, se d pole pieces extensions, saidwindingsbeing in series relation with theermature circuit and adaptedtogenerete a flux through the armature in opposition to the first saidsource of flux, substantially as described. I

i 2. In an electric generator, the c0mbination of an armature and aWorking circuit therefor, a plurality of sets of pole pieces carryingflux on opposite sides of said armsture, one set of pole pieces havingpole shoes attachedthereto,said pole shoes carrying a yoke, a pluralityof windings on said yoke, one of said windings being in series with thearmature in the Working circuit, the other winding being in shunt to theermnture and out of the working circuit, another set of polepieces-carrying extensions, said extensions having windings in serieswith the working circuit, but adapted to generate a flux through thearmature in an opposite direction to the first mentioned series winding,substantially as described.

In an electric generator, the combination ofen armature and a workingcircuit therefor, 21 source of magnetic flux, a plurality of sets ofpole pieces, one pair of said I pole pieces provided with pole shoescarrying a yoke, a plurality of windings on said yoke, one of saidwindings being in series with the working circuit through the ernnoture, the other winding being in, shunt to the armature and out ofthe'working circuit,. a keeper carrying contacts included in the workingcircuit, said contacts being open at a speed of rotation of the armaturebelow a substantially predetermined point, said other mentioned pairofpole pieceshaving shoes and a keeper, said keeper being attructed whenthearmature speeds above a predetermined point, and said last mentionedkeeper controlling said first keeper whereby the firstmentionedregulator is held in its operated position as long as saidsecond keeper is operated, substantially as described.

4. In an electric generator, the combination of a rotatable armature, asource of magnetic flux, a working circuit for said armature including aplurality of series windings, a. winding in shunt to said armsture, ayoke for said shunt winding and one of the series windings, a keeper forthe working circuit controlled by the currci'it through the shuntwindingand a second keeper for the working circuit controlled by the bul anceof the series windings in the working circuit. y s

An electric generator comprising a field magnet for the magnetic flux,windings thereon, an armature disposed within the. field magnet, aworking circuit for the an-v maturecurrent, a plurality of keepers subject to the action of the field fluxes to govern cent to the fieldmagnets, a working circuit for the armature current, a plurality ofkeepers subject to the action of the field fluxes to govern the currentin the working circuit, one of said windings. adapted to produce a flowof magnetic lines in one direction through the armature, one of saidkeepers being operated by said magnetic" lines, a second winding adaptedto produce a flow of magnetic lines in the opposite direction throughthe armature and the other of said keepers being operated by said lastmentioned magnetic lines, substantially as described.

7. An electric generator comprising a field magnet for the magneticflux, windings thereon, anarmature and a working circuit therefor, saidfield magnetbeing .split into two sections on either side of saidarmature, a keeper for the Working circuit controlled by the magneticflux in one of said sections, and a second keeper for the workingcircuit controlled by the magnetic flux in the other of said sections,substantially as described.

8. An electric generator comprising a field magnet for the magneticflux, windings disposed adjacent to said field magnet, an armature and aworking circuit therefor, two keepers for said Working circuit, saidfield magnet being divided into two sections on either side ofsaidarmature, said windings consisting of a shunt and series winding on onesection and a'series winding on the other section whereby the shuntwinding controls one keeper and the second mentioned series windingcontrols the other keeper, substantially as described.

9. An electric generator comprising a field of magnetic material for themagnetic flux in two sections on either side of an armature, windingsdisposed around the magnetic material on both said sections, a workingcircuit for the armature current, said Working circuit includingcontacts normally open, but adapted to be closed at a substantiallypredetermined speed of rotation of the armature by a controlling windingexternal to.

the working circuit and disposed 1 on one of said fieldsections, asecond contact normally closed and in the said winding circuit externalto the working circuit, but adaptedto be opened at a substantiallypredetermined speed by a controlling winding on the other of said fieldsections whereby the current in the working circuit is heldsubstantially constant beyond the second predetermined speed point.

10. An electric generator consisting of an armature and fiel circuit.for the armature including magnet polesdivide'd in two sectionsoneither side of said armature,

one section or part of'the field magnet poles one of said circuitgoverning means being 11.-An electrlc generator comprising apermanentmagnet, having pole pieces, a

non-magnetic base for'said magnet and pole pieces, other pole piecesmounted on said base, a Winding correlated with the second I named polepieces and in series in the Work.- ing circuit of the armature, amagnetm.

. keeper controlling'said circuit, a winding for the second named polepieces in shunt to sald armature, the first named pole pieces havingextensions on which are-disposed a winding in series with the workingcircuit of the armature, and a second keeper further controlling saidcircuit.

' 12. An electric generator provided with a permanent magnet andarmature, a working circuit for the armature, including a series) and aseries differential acting winding, t

winding in shunt to said armature, a yoke for said series and shuntwindings, a keeper for the working circuit controlled conjointly by theshunt and series differential acting winding.

13. An electric generator .provided with a permanent magnet andarmature, a working a series ice and a series differential actingwinding, a

' winding .in shunt to saidarmature, a yoke for said series and shuntwindings, pole pieces associated with said yoke, contacts in the series.and shunt circuits carried by said pole pieces,the' contact in; theseries circuit being closed by the current in the shunt winding, and thecontact in the shunt circuit being opened by the current mete se' riesdifferential acting winding substantially as described.

14.- An electrical generator provided with magnetic fieid material andan armature, a

working circuit for said armature including ieries andv seriesdifferential acting. windings, a winding in shunt to said armature, ayoke for said series and shunt windings, pdle' pieces associated withsaid yoke, said magnetic field material being divided in two sectionsoneither side of said armature, said shunt and series windings acting onone section, and said series diflerential winding acting on the other ofsaid sections, whereby the shunt and series windings actuate a keeper toclose the workin circuit of the armatureand the series di ential actingwinding, actuates a. second keeper to open 'base,'a plurality of polepieces mounted in a straight line on said base on one side of saidarmature and a duplicate set of pole pieces mounted in a straight lineon .said base on the. opposite side ofsaid armature,

two of saidsourc'es of magnetic flux acting through one'set of polepieces and the armature and the other two sources acting through an,independent set of pole pieces and. the-. -armature, whereby the currentin said armature is controlledto a substantially predetermined value. I

16. An electric generator provided wlth a plurality of sources ofmagnetic flux, an armature and a workingcircuit therefor, pole pieces.for' directing the-fluxthrough said armature, said pole-piecesbeingarranged in pairs and magnetically. separated,

the flux in one pairof pole pieces being in one direction through. thearmature and the flux in the other pair being at times in bothdirections, whereb the current in the armature and the wor'ing circuitis controlled to a substantially predetermined value.

17. electric generator provided with an armature and. a. working circuittherefor,

and meansfor excitingthe armature, said means consisting of at least twoelectrcmagnets, one of said electromagnets acting on a keeper to closethe working circuit, the other electromagnet acting on a keeper to holdthe first mentioned keeper in closed position and to open the energizingcircuit of the first mentioned electromagnet at a speed, whereby theworking circuit is closed at substantially .a predetermined speed andthe working circuit is kept closed when one of the armature excitingmeans is removed at a second substantially predetermined speed. I r l18. An electric generator, provided with a permanent magnet andarmature, a working circuit forsaid armature, said permanentmagnethaving pole pieces provided with pole extensions, said extensionshaving windings thereon forming an electromagnet adapted to sendmagnetic lines through the armature in opposition to the permanentmagnets, a second electromagnet adapted to send magnetic lines throughthe armature in conjunction with the permanent magnet but in oppositionto the magnetic lines set up by the said first mentionedelectro-magnets, said second electro-magnet adapted to close the saidworking circuit, said first mentioned ele'ctro-inagnet adapted to holdthc'working circuit closed, while at the same time serving to open thecircuit of said second electro-f magnet, thereby holding the current inthe predetermined working circuit to a substantially predeterminedvalue.

19. An electric generator, provided with an armature, a plurality ofsources of magnetic flux, one of said sources being a permanent magnet,one an electro-magnct independent of the permanent magnet and .one anelectro-magnet mounted on pole extensionsiof said permanent magnets, thefirst tw'o sources acting to send flux through the armature in the samedirection and the last mentioned to send flux through the armature in anopposite direction to the first two mentionedsources.

v 20. An electric generator having permanent' magnets, an armature and aWorking circuit therefor, a pair of electromagnets connected in serieswith the' Working circuit a pair of spring returned armatures, saidspring returned armatures being controlled by said pair ofelectromagnets, whereby the the current in the working circuit 21. Incombination, an electric generator having a source of magnetic .fiux, anarmature and a Working circuit therefor, a second ,source of magneticflux adapted to be added to the first mentioned source, whereby themagnetic field strength and the current output ofsaid armature isincreased at low fspeeds,a keeper, an electromagnet' adapted r tooperate saidkeeper at a predetermined speed, said keeper when operatedserving to alter the electrical connection to the secondnientionedsource of magnetic flux, whereby the same is removed fromaction at said pre determined point,substantially as described.

22. In combination, an electric generator having a source of magneticflux, ,an armature and a workingcircuit therefor, a second source ofmagnetic, flux adapted to be added to the first mentioned source,.whereby the field strength and the current output of said armature isincreased at low speeds, a keeper, an electromagnet adapted to controlsaid keepen' electrical connections to said second sourcof magneticflux, said elec-' trical connections adapted to be altered by saidkeeper when operated, said alteration in the electrical connectionsserving to remove the second source of magnetic flux from action, saidelectro-magnet being also adapted to send reverse magnetic fluxthroughsaid armature, whereby the current in the working circuit ismaintained at a substantially constant value as the speed of saidarmature increases, scribed.

23. An electric generator, having a source of magnetic flux, an armatureand working circuit therefor, a pair of electro-magnets connected in seies with'the working circuit, I

a pair of spring returned keepers, said keepers being controlled by saidpair of electromagnets whereby both keepers serve to shunt substantiallyas dev rent in said Working circuits increases.

24. In combination, an electric generator having a source of magneticflux, an armature and a working circuit therefor, an automatic cut out,an electromagnetic Winding connected in shunt to said Working circuit, asecond electromagnetic winding connected in series with said Workingcircuit, said Working circuit adapted to be controlled by said out out,said cut out being operated by said shunt winding, said shunt windingadapted to-be removed from circuit by said second Winding, said out outadaptedto be held in, the operated position after said shunt Winding hasbeen removed from the circuit, said second electromagnetic windinghaving cores bent away from the first mentioned source of magnetic flux,whereby magnetic flux is sent through the armature in' reverse directionto the first mentioned source in proportion as the speed of rotation ofthe armature increases as and for the .purpose described.

25. An electric generator, having a source of magnetic. flux, anarmature and Working circuit therefor, a pair of electromagnetsconnected in series with the working circuit, a pair of spring returnedkeepers, said keepers being controlled by said pair of electromagnetswhereby the necessary con-- tacts are operated to regulate the currentin the Working circuit.

26. An electric generator having a base,

operated, the workin In testimony whereof 'I afiix my signature anarmature and aworking circuit therefor,

a plurality of pole pieces mounted in a straight line .on said base onone side of said armature and'a duplicate set of pole pieces mounted ina straight line on said base on the opposite side of said armature, saidpole pieces on either side being spaced apart from each other, a sourceof magnetic flux for one set of pole pieces, electro-magnetic coilscarried above said set of pole pieces and. connected 1n the workingcircuit and a.

spring supported keeper operated by said coils to control the workingcircuit.

27. An electric generator having a base, a

direct current armature, and a working circuit therefor, a plurality ofpole tpieces spaced apart but mounted in a straight line on said base onone side of said armature anda duplicate set of pole pieces mounted in asimilar manner on the base on the other side of said armature, permanentmagnets for supplying magnetic flux to one set of v said pole pieces,electro-magnetic' coils mounted above said set of pole pieces andconnected in circuit with said armature, a keeper associatedwith saidcoils andunder their control whereby When said keeper is 'rcuit is keptclosed.

in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES M. WILSON.

Witnesses: V I

, WILLIAM J HART,

RICHARD H. CUNNINGHAM.

Copies of this atent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioneroflatents, Washington, D. 0.?

